Ernest Koliqi was an Albanian poet, prose writer, dramatist and literary scholar and translator. Born in Shkodra, where he also attended his first lessons in the Shkodër Jesuit College he moved to Italy to study in Brescia and then at the University of Padua, and became knowledgeable in Albanian folk history. He began to write under pseudonyms, such as Hilushi, Hilush Vilza and Borizani.

In the 1920s and 1930s Koliqi was the founder of leading magazines in Albania, such as the "Illyria" magazine, "Ora e Maleve", "Shkendija" and other magazines such as "Shejzat" in Italy. He also was the Minister of Education at the time of the Albanian Kingdom during World War II, when he contributed in establishing public libraries in Albania. Koliqi endeavored to compose a proper history of the Albanian literature, without any influence of the political ideologies or else.

As a writer many of his literary works were banned because of his liberal political views. He became creative in prose, and together with Mitrush Kuteli are considered the founders of modern Albanian prose. He translated into Albanian the works of the great Italian writers such as Dante Alighieri, Petrarch, Ludovico Ariosto, Torquato Tasso, Giuseppe Parini, Vincenzo Monti, Ugo Foscolo, and Alessandro Manzoni. He distinguished himself in the translation of an anthology of Italian poetry in 1963.

In his books such as Hija e Maleve (The Shadow of the Mountains)(1929), Tregtar flamujsh (Flags' Merchant) (1935) and Pasqyrat e Narçizit (The Mirrors of Narcissus)(1936), Koliqi brings a unique spirituality to Albanian literature. Koliqi died in Italy in 1975.